WAPCo to begin 28-day planned maintenance from February 5

The West Africa Gas Pipeline Company Limited (WAPCO) has begun preparations to shut down operations from February 5 for a planned four-week maintenance exercise.

Speaking after a media tour of the WAPCo Regulating and Metering Station in Takoradi on January 29, the Head of Corporate Affairs, Dr. Isaac Adjei Doku explained that the five-yearly maintenance is a regulatory requirement.

WAPCo has thus begun installing the necessary equipment, including an effluent management system for the project.

“From February 5 to March 2, 2025, WAPCo will undertake the exercise to clean and inspect the pipeline, as required by regulation. Per regulations, WAPCo is required to clean and inspect the pipeline every five years, and the company last cleaned and inspected the pipeline about 5 years ago, Dr Doku explained.

Scheduled Maintenance Timeline:

The major maintenance activities will begin on February 5, 2025, and are expected to be completed by March 2, 2025. During this period, the following services will be temporarily suspended.
o Reverse flow transportation of natural gas from Ghana’s Western Region to Tema in the east, and
o Gas transportation services from Nigeria to Cotonou (Benin), Lomé (Togo), and Tema (Ghana)

o An average of about 90,000MMSCF/d of gas required to push the Pipeline Inspection Guage (PIG) from Nigeria to Takoradi will be transported. Meaning WAPCo will be transporting gas to Takoradi.

Scope of Maintenance:

Activities to be undertaken during the period include:
o Cleaning the pipeline to remove debris, dirt, and liquids.
o Inspecting the internal walls of the pipeline.
o Replacing subsea valves.
o Conducting any ancillary works needed while gas transportation services are temporarily suspended

Most of the activities will take place offshore and at two WAPCo facilities: WAPCo’s Lagos Beach Compressor Station located at Badagry, Lagos State Nigeria and at the Takoradi Regulating and Metering Station.

The Lagos Beach Compressor Station is where the cleaning and inspection devices, known as “PIGs” will be inserted into the pipeline.

Takoradi Regulating and Metering Station is where each “PIG” will arrive after traveling through the 569km stretch of pipeline.

Several cleaning devices “PIGs” will be introduced at the Nigeria end of the offshore pipeline at Lagos Beach Compressor Station. These will travel through the pipeline with pressure from the gas being transported to Takoradi.

When the Pipeline is sufficiently cleaned a device known as “intelligent pig” will be inserted into pipeline to inspect its internal walls as it travels down to Takoradi.

Divers will go under the sea to replace subsea valves at the intersection where the pipeline (laterals) from our facilities in Cotonou, Lomé and Tema meet the main offshore pipeline.

 

The post WAPCo to begin 28-day planned maintenance from February 5 first appeared on 3News.

Read Full Story